Final Fantasy: Inquisition- Act Four
by Chemiclord
Summary: Here is the fourth act of my original Final Fantasy Fiction.  Enjoy.
1. Someone's got a Secret

FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION ****

FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION

By Thomas Knapp

****

Act Four- Scene One

Borz skipped off the makeshift plank that led down to the isolated beach that the group had chosen as their landing point. "Welcome to Wodensland!" Borz chirped happily.

Tamara did not share in Borz's cheerfulness. She was waving her hand in front of her face as if trying to cool herself off. "The humidity here is almost suffocating. How does anyone survive this blasted heat?"

"Simple." Fredros replied as he strode down the plank, "They don't wear full body armor."

"Yes, if it's too hot, you should take it all off." Midas added, "I can help you if you want."

There was a moment's pause as Midas realized what he had just said. His face turned as red as his robe and he whirled away, studying the tropical trees as if they were fascinating him to no end. 

Tamara flushed brightly, and managed to stammer, "Oh… um… I…" She looked at Yura, expecting the summoner to be fuming. Instead, the red-haired lady smiled, and laughed at the knight's discomfort. 

"You probably should remove that armor, Tamara." Yura commented, trying hard to keep from chuckling during so. "If you don't want Midas touching you, I'd me more than glad to assist."

Tamara pursed her lips, and with the unbuckling of several clasps, the metal breastplate fell to the ground. Removing four buckles, heavy arm and leg plates fell, and Tamara stood in her typical brown tunic and trousers. "No… I'm quite capable of handling it myself."

"Then what was all the fuss about?" Creed growled, joining the rest of the band on the shore. "We have a mission to worry about. Let's keep hormones out of this for a little bit longer."

Midas was about to retaliate with a scathing comeback, when he noticed the tall grasses flanking the sandy shore rustling quite energetically. From within the grass, something squeaked, "KUPO!"

All eight adventurers whirled around to face in the direction of the sound as a furry moogle burst out of the foliage, it's normally white hair tinted a light green from the grass it had obviously been rummaging through. The yellow bonbon on the top of its head bobbed slightly to the left in the breeze coming off the ocean.

"Oh… how CUTE!" Yura squealed. The moogle regarded the summoner for a brief moment, its furry head tilting slightly. It then straightened, put its small pink nose in the air, and sniffed several times.

"Fascinating." Harmon whispered, "I was under the impression that moogles were extinct…"

Then the sun gleaming off Tamara's armor caught its attention. As if forgetting whatever it was smelling, the moogle dashed right past Midas, and before Tamara could react, had grabbed one of her arm plates, and sprinted away to the far side of the beach.

"You little rascal!" Tamara growled, "That's MINE!" She started after the moogle, but Creed quickly grabbed her by the arm.

"No, don't get it excited!" Creed warned, "It can be very dangerous!"

"Why?" Tamara asked, "That little thing can't actually HURT us… can it?"

"Moogles are magical creatures. When they get overly emotional in any way, they start randomly casting Black Magic. To other moogles, it's harmless, but to us… it can be quite deadly. I don't think they MEAN to hurt ANYONE, but they have no control over it."

Tamara turned back to the moogle, who had stationed itself on a large rock. The creature sniffed the armor plate suspiciously, then tried to bite into the metal, without much success. Rubbing its jaw, and realizing that whatever this gleaming object was, it CERTAINLY wasn't food, it tossed the arm plate aside, and hopped off the rock.

Tamara cautiously retrieved her arm plate, keeping her eyes on the moogle the entire time. It once again had its nose in the air, sniffing curiously.

"What is that thing smelling?" Yura asked, "Everyone bathed recently, right?"

Everyone was so fascinated with their furry visitor that they did not notice Borz slowly stepping back towards the boat. However, the moogle did, and with a triumphant, "KUPO!" It lunged towards the tiny Black Mage.

"No! Stay back! Go away!" Borz shouted in protest, but was tackled by the white critter. They tumbled in the sand about 5 meters, and the moogle suddenly floated up with its pink wings, chubby furry hands clasped around the top of Borz's hat. Meanwhile, Borz had an equally tight grip around the hat's brim.

"Let GO!" Borz shouted indignantly, while the moogle continued to try and flap upward, grunting, "Kuuuuupo…!"

"Borz!" Creed yelled in horror, "Let it go! Don't get the thing excited!"

"Kupo! Kupo! KUPO!" The moogle chanted, pulling with all the might in its tiny frame. Borz was equally adamant in his shouts at the moogle, "No! Don't! Let GO!"

Finally, Midas charged Borz, and swatted the Black Mage on the hands, causing Borz to yelp in pain, and release the hat. Midas watched the moogle flap up into the air, holding Borz's hat, chirping happily, "KUPO!"

Finally, Midas looked back down at Borz, who had retreated into his loose clothing, head inside his shirt. However, a small stalk protruded out of the collar, topped with a bright yellow bonbon.

"Oh, WOW!" Yura said, "Borz has got one of those bulbs on his head like that moogle!"

There was a sound of query from inside Borz's shirt, and the Black Mage reached up with his hand, gently feeling the bonbon. Borz yelped, and slowly stuck his head out of his collar. A furry white head emerged with trepidation, squinted eyes blinking repeatedly.

"It… looks like I've been found out, huh?" Borz admitted sheepishly, but for a long uncomfortable time, no one made any attempt at a reply.

Finally Creed, his mouth twitching in disbelief, commented wryly, "You mean to tell me this whole time we've been relying on the Black Magic of an overzealous, glory-mad boy… and a moogle?" He made a resigned sigh, then added, "The more I learn about this crazy group, the less I want to know…"

The moogle that had harassed Borz flittered down in front of the Black Mage. It held out the hat it had taken, which Borz quickly snatched up, putting it over his head, once again shrouding his features. The moogle chirped, "Kupo?" It clearly didn't understand why Borz was so intent on hiding himself in a Black Mage outfit.

Borz looked around somewhat shyly, then muttered, "Kupo po… Ku…"

The moogle nodded, as if understanding, then bowed as much as it's chubby frame could allow, before disappearing back into the overgrowth.

"What was that?" Midas asked, "What did you say to it?"

"Say?" Creed huffed, "That creature can't understand anything. Moogles are mindless sprites."

Fredros glanced at Creed, and hissed, "Really? Yet Borz can understand our language, and could probably out-think you any day. He also can control the magic that you say moogles are too stupid to be able to comprehend."

Midas eyed Fredros, and said, "I take it you knew about this?"

"Indeed I did." Fredros answered, crossing his arms defiantly. "I've known Borz for a long time."

Borz shook his head, "Don't downplay it… Fredros was the one who made me what I was."

"Is this true?" Yura asked with an impressed smile.

Fredros smirked, and replied, "I suppose one could say it that way."

__

30 years ago, Outside the Monastery of Alexander, Wodensland…

The only thing that ran through the moogle's mind was escape… somehow to escape. The sound of the hunters behind him, swords clinking, boots trampling, pushed the little moogle to pump his little wings as hard as he could. The small blocks of ice that the moogle was spreading instinctively behind him helped to keep the hunters at bay, but what filled the creature's mind was the sounds of his family, his father, mother, and 5 brothers and sisters, all being slain and skinned.

The moogle simply couldn't comprehend why the men were slicing off the skin of his family, but he knew that he didn't want it to happen to him, so he kept flying at breakneck speed, barely dodging a tree in his path.

Soon the forest parted into a clearing, and the moogle suddenly saw yet another man, clad in white, kneeling down facing the moogle. There wasn't enough time to react, and moogle and man collided.

Fredros had his eyes closed, so never saw what hit him until after they had tumbled. A moogle, small for even their diminutive stature, was tangled in his robes. Fredros concluded that it was probably but a youth.

The young priest quickly helped the poor creature out of the bundle of fabric, and somehow knew the little being's fright. Something was scaring the being, and it didn't take Fredros long to figure out who.

He heard the hunters long before he saw them, and finally 5 men burst into the clearing, their hair and clothes speckled with twigs, weeds, and the occasional flower petal. Several of them actually had the pelts of recently killed moogles buckled to their belts.

"Hey! Hand over that moogle." The leader demanded, "He may be puny, but he's still worth some decent gil."

"I will do no such thing!" Fredros replied, clutching the frightened moogle to his chest, "You do not need this one to make another moogle fur coat to ship to the filthy rich in North Landing or Artica."

"You listen here, you doped up priest. We want that moogle… or else…"

"Or else what? You will kill me?" Fredros queried, raising an eyebrow, "Surely you know that all Priests of Alexander are watched at all times. How do you think killing a man of the cloth will affect you?"

This gave the hunter pause. He motioned for his men to retreat back into the forest, he grumped, "Very well… have it your way. There are plenty other moogles in these forests."

__

5 years later…

Fredros pored over the aged document that was one of the last remaining copies of the first attempts at putting the teachings of Alexander to writing. It was intriguing how modern translations had the tendency to be ever so slightly altered with each ensuing translation.

Fredros turned back to the blank page, and started to write what he deemed was a much more accurate translation. He was so engrossed in his work that he never noticed Borz wobble into the chamber. The halls of the monastery were not very wide, and moogle flight tended to be somewhat haphazard, thus Borz had taken to merely walking. However, the study chamber offered much more room to maneuver, and thus Borz flittered above Fredros's shoulder as the priest wrote.

Fredros acknowledged the moogle's presence, but did little more until Borz recognized what the White Mage was doing. With a high pitched squeak, Borz quite clearly said, "BOOK!"

Fredros looked with utter disbelief. "Did you just…"

As if to remove all doubt, Borz pointed to the bound leaves of paper, and repeated, "BOOK!"

Fredros lifted his pen up to the moogle's eyes, and asked, "Borz, what is this?"

Borz blinked twice, then said, "PEN!"

Fredros's face broke into an amazed smile; he jumped to his feet, and turned to the old tome, lifting it up, and asking, "And this?"

Borz nodded his head, and chirped, "BOOK!"

Fredros then put down the tome on the desk, and pulled the chair away from underneath. Pointing to the wooden piece of furniture, he asked, "What about this?"

Borz's features furrowed, as if he wasn't as sure about this object. After some silence, the moogle said with some trepidation, "Ch… chair?"

Fredros had never felt so elated as he had that day, not even when he had been ordained…

* * * * * * * * * *

"Absolutely AMAZING!" Harmon crowed, "25 years ago you proved a hypothesis that many scholars had developed, Fredros. Our only failing was that there were almost no moogles anywhere by the time we began study, and about 10 years ago were considered extinct."

Fredros snorted, "I proved nothing, Harmon. The results that came out of all this belonged to Borz. I was merely a guiding force. Yet, even with that… he had worked so hard, only to run into a brick wall."

"What do you mean by that?" Midas queried, "Borz, would you care to explain?"

The Black Mage inhaled, then sighed, "Sure… why not?"

__

20 years ago…

The outfit of a Black Mage was designed and enchanted to shroud the features of the wearer so that they were totally unidentifiable to anyone else unless the Mage in question wished to be known. However, when the wearer barely reaches 4 feet in height WITH the pointy hat, and possesses a voice that sounds like there is a kazoo taped to his lips, the shrouding features of the Mage garb become rather moot.

Thus, every student in the school knew who was being called to the Headmaster's office, and were quick to turn to their friends or classmates, gossiping about the latest failure, and subsequent personal harm and structural damage, surrounding the "monster mage".

He had to stand on his tiptoes to turn the knob of the door, then slipped in, opening the door as little as necessary for entry. "You called for me, Headmaster?"

"Yes, Borz, come in, and please close the door." The headmaster stated.

Borz complied, and focused his gaze on the man in charge of the school. If there was such a thing as an animated stick, it was the Headmaster of Wodensland Magic School. He was painfully thin, with long limbs and a stretched out face, like two giants had grabbed him by the legs and head, and pulled for about a year and a half.

"Borz… I am increasingly concerned with your unauthorized practice." The Headmaster commented, "We have very strict policies about students taking their studies on their own shoulders, and for precisely this reason." The headmaster waved a small report that had been filled out, explaining last night's fire in the activity hall that had threatened to burn the building down itself.

"I wouldn't take such drastic measures if the masters wouldn't refuse to teach me." Borz replied.

The Headmaster frowned, and wove his hands together. He said somewhat sadly, "Borz, the masters time is valuable, and I am sorry if they cannot waste it on you."

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps it is time you knew the truth. The only reason that you were admitted to this school at all was because your ward, the High Priest Fredros, was so adamant about allowing to entrance. But, Borz, we can't teach you. No one can."

"Is it really true?" Borz asked, "What they say about moogles?"

"Yes, Borz." The Headmaster replied, "Although I must admit that you are vastly superior than any moogle I have ever heard of… you just aren't capable of controlling magic power. It's not your fault… you were born an inferior being."

"An… inferior being…" Borz whispered, his heart smashing to pieces. All his dreams… of becoming the first moogle mage… and they never had a chance to begin with.

"I am truly sorry, Borz…" The Headmaster said, "I know how tough this must be for you… but I am expelling you from the magic school. Normally, I'd have you turn in your clothes, but they'd only gather moths."

Dejectedly, nearly toning out the laughing from the other students, Borz strode out of the school. Quietly, he slipped into the woods surrounding the academy, just in time to hear the first explosions of cannon fire.

__

Meanwhile…

Due to being forced to make emergency repairs, the ship carrying the High Priest of Alexander was a day late arriving in port. 

What a difference a day makes. 

Rather than the tropical, sunny land that Fredros had come to love, the whole South Island was burning, smoke choking out the sun itself.

The High Priest quickly called for the ship to make a quick dock, but to prepare to take on any survivors. In his panic, Fredros didn't even bother to ponder how such an atrocity could occur, and who was responsible. He only reacted.

Fredros charged through the town, and stopped in front of what remained of the Alexander Monastery. It appeared that the historical building had been one of the first targets, as nothing remained but smoldering rubble. Burnt flesh soon followed the sight, and that was when Fredros noticed the bodies. He counted 47… the exact number that had been serving in the monastery, all lined up along the edge of the burned down temple.

This absolutely baffled him. Why did none of the priests and acolytes escape the building? The rubble had all the appearances of burning down quite slowly, more than adequate time to have escaped.

He heard noise from behind him, and whirled around to see a small figure emerge from the tall grasses into the plaza outside the monastery. It was wearing Black Mage garb, but it was evident to anyone who knew who it was.

Borz rushed to Fredros, and began sobbing, "We were attacked… by our own people… no one expected it… I don't know how, but they had cannons, and they starting blowing up the whole town…"

"Do you know who?" Fredros commented.

He shook his head wildly, "I was too scared…"

Further conversation was cut off as there was a loud shout from several meters ahead. Three men in combat attire pointed down the hill at Fredros and Borz. Fredros tucked the moogle under one arm, and rushed the other way, towards the docks. He heard the sound of arrows falling short of him as he basically dove up the ramp into the ship. Before they even pulled up the ramp, the ship was pulling out to open sea. Peering over the edge of the deck, Fredros saw one face in particular of the small group that had assembled at the dock.

Fredros had seen the face before, when he had rescued Borz from a hunting party out for his pelt. A face that had threatened him with great harm for rescuing the moogle. A face that he would not see again until 20 years after the revolution, in Artica. A face that Fredros finally had a name to match with it.

Tarsis.

****

End Scene One


	2. High Crimes

FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION ****

FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION

By Thomas Knapp

****

Act Four- Scene Two

Borz raised a hand the moment he finished his story, "All right, before anyone starts: Yes, I know my story's terrible, after all, I lived it. But in the end, I suppose it turned out all right. After all, I now know how wrong the status quo was. I got my wish, and they are wrong."

"They are dead." Creed reminded.

Midas exhaled, and said regretfully, "The more I hear about the world 20 years ago, the more I understand why the common folk rebelled."

"Rebellion… yes. Genocide… no." Fredros added sternly, "The Rationalists butchered my entire monastery, people dedicated to peace, people who would not have fought to sustain the corruption of old. But then… the Rationalists learned such cold-hearted tactics from the best, I suppose."

Trigger suddenly whirled around, eyes darting through the entire forest surrounding the secluded beach. Midas, reacting to the ninja's sudden posture, took to a defensive stance almost instinctively.

The rest of the group was just slightly slower in their response, but fortunately, a fight was not going to be in their near future anyway.

From the woods, several high pitched voices began chirping, "KUPO!" About twenty moogle heads emerged from the overgrowth, chanting in an almost rhythmic fashion.

One of the moogles popped through the grasses, and into the beach, and although it didn't look any different to the humans' untrained eyes, Borz recognized the little critter as the same one that had revealed Borz's little secret just minutes before.

"Kupo! Ku ku po kupo po!" The little sprite crowed happily at the nearest adventurer to its position, which happened to be Creed.

"What… the hell… is this thing doing?" Creed demanded of his comrades.

"He saying that he knows who we are." Borz translated. "His people had heard rumors about the heroes trying to revive Alexander, and when he saw our ship dock in this… unusual place, he figured that's who we were."

"He said all that? With just those little squeaks?" Creed asked, perplexed.

"Well… not in that many words, but that was the meaning he was trying to convey." Borz admitted. "Moogle speech IS somewhat simple in its nature."

The other moogles began chittering wildly, the cacophony of squeaks and shouts driving the human contingent to cover their ears. Borz on the other hand just soaked the details in, finally shouting, "THEY KNOW WHERE THE SUMMONER'S CAVERN IS!"

The moogle tribe fell silent after that, convinced that they had gotten their point across, and none too soon for Midas, who began rubbing his abused ears. "Well… that's great, but next time… do you think you could tell them to try and NOT blow out our eardrums?"

Borz apologized on the moogle's behalf, and the little moogle in the clearing spoke again, but this time in a quieter tone for Borz. The Black Mage nodded, and said to his friends, "We have been invited to meet the matriarch of this tribe. Once she has approved of us, they will escort us to the summoner cavern."

"Wonderful… we are putting the faith of our success on the shoulders of some grandmother moogle…" Creed commented, but nonetheless allowed himself to be escorted into the jungle.

__

Deep in the South Isle Jungle…

It was rapidly approaching night when the moogles had finally led the group to the secluded home of the moogles, which turned out to be a series of caves burrowed into a small hill. The moogle scouts shouted out several times toward the hill, and were rewarded with scores of white, furry moogle bodies bursting out of the various burrows.

While the moogles themselves didn't appear to be the least bit downtrodden, Borz couldn't help but be overwhelmed with a sorrowful regret. When he was young, before that fateful meeting with Fredros and Tarsis, the moogles had lived freely out in the jungle, carefree and happy. Now they were degraded to hiding in filthy holes, most likely to avoid the sharp spears of hunters.

"I take it that is the matriarch." Midas stated, causing Borz to put aside his rage for a moment, and turn to where the Red Mage was pointing. The moogle in question was a full head taller than any of her fellows, and moved very slowly, her tiny wings not fully able to move her larger body very easily. Upon looking at the matriarch's face, Midas was overcome with the sheer enormity of her years… a sense that he couldn't readily explain.

"The matriarch was ageless when I was a young one almost 25 years ago. She has lived to see kingdoms rise and fall." Borz explained, "I wouldn't be surprised if she was alive when these islands were formed from the sea."

Even Creed was overwhelmed by the strange aura of wisdom radiating off the aged sprite. Unable to find words for his amazement, he simply allowed his jaw to hang off his face loosely. His doubts wavered, and in spite of himself decided that maybe this "grandmother moogle" might know something valuable after all.

"Ku Ku… po ku Kupo." The matriarch chirped, in the moogle equivalent of a throaty voice not terribly dissimilar to the sound a broken harmonica would make. Afterwards, in that tone, she added, "Welcome, humankind."

This took even Borz by some surprise. "You can Humanspeak?"

The thin mouth of the Moogle matriarch turned upwards, and she replied, "If you can learn it, little one, do you not think I can as well?"

This caused Borz to twiddle his thumbs, and answer, "Yeah, I mean NO! I mean… now that you put it THAT way…" Finally, he threw up his hands, and finished with a frustrated growl, "Oh… I don't know WHAT I mean!"

"These eyes have seen many things, these ears have heard three times as many." Continued the matriarch, "One of those things is the cavern of the summoners where you wish to find the Crystal of Water."

She regarded the group one by one, starting with Borz, "You have come a long way, little one. You are indeed a true hero to our kind, reaching out for what your brethren have never bothered to attain. But you cannot hide your true self, no matter how thick of clothing you wear. You need not stay in the shadow of yourself."

Then she stood in front of Creed, "Hold no grief for that which you could not control, believer. The presence of one cannot be denied as a powerful tool to shift the balance, but even that power has limits. The time will come when that power WILL be needed to shift the balance."

Creed gaped, knowing that there could have only been ONE thing that the matriarch was referring to. "How did she know…?"

But by then, the wizened moogle had found her next target, Fredros. "You are truly a great tribute to your teachings on the outside, and your kind heart is witnessed every time one looks upon Borz. But like all things have a shadow… be minded that you will soon face your greatest unbeliever."

Next came Harmon. "Your mind is full with the knowledge of those that came before you, but that is only PART of true knowledge. Take what you have learned, and make that next step. Remember to keep yourself balanced, and you shall do well. Never forget what made you what you were."

When the matriarch stood before Trigger, the moogle tilted her head and leaned back slightly. "Your honor is your greatest strength, but it is also your greatest weakness. Pain must be expressed, or you shall become a greater monster than the one that bore you. Do not let the end of your vendettas blind you to the larger purpose."

Then there was Tamara. "Those that you once loved, you now hate, and that you once hated, you now love. Hatred can only be spread if you allow it to be spread. Hold all that you once held dear close to your heart, and they will return it in turn eventually. Also, do not hold back your desires. Even my life is too short to waste it procrastinating."

The moogle stepped into Yura's vision, and she smiled tenderly, "Dear child, you have fought a hard, long, and necessary road. However, your trial is nearing an end. When the time comes, have faith in your friends to help you achieve your goal."

Finally, there was Midas, "The blood of the summoners runs through you as well, that I can see. Your truths shall be revealed to you, but you may not like what you shall learn. Do not let your disappointment cloud what you must do. And remember these words most of all; in order to win for the light, you must be prepared to embrace the darkness."

The matriarch then turned away, and barked what sounded like orders to the assembly behind her. "We shall celebrate your coming, and will depart for the cavern at first light."

The questions that the adventurers had for the matriarch were answered with one simple, all-encompassing statement, "I have given you the questions you must ask of yourself. It is up to all of you to find the answers."

__

Later that night…

It was obvious that the moogles' celebration clearing had not been used for some time, as it took several hours to clear it out and return it to it's former state. "We haven't had much reason to celebrate…" The matriarch commented wryly.

But once the small bonfire had been started, it appeared that the moogles had never left. The eight travelers watched the furry sprites begin their ceremonial dances, stocky bodies jumping and flittering in circles around the fire. Even the matriarch took a turn at the simple hide drums that had been set up along the side, playing a perfect accompaniment to the various flute and whistle instruments.

One moogle seemed obsessed with Creed, prattling over and over in wistful tones that Creed simply could not understand. Finally, the former monk motioned to Borz, and asked him to translate.

Borz listened to the conversation, then he said brightly, "Oh! That's Doff! He's basically describing how he's pining away for Ray Aya."

"Who's Ray Aya?"

Borz chuckled, and replied, "It's a painting of a supposedly beautiful moogle in the caves. From what the other moogles have told me, Doff fell down one of the particularly deeper tunnels, although he claims he was pushed… Anyway, he hit his head, and he just hasn't been the same since… poor thing…"

"So you mean to tell me he is infatuated with this… painting?" Creed stated.

"Yup."

"Oh boy…" Creed muttered, dropping his head in disbelief.

Across the clearing, two moogle children, assuming from their much smaller size, were showing absolute fascination at Midas's bright red robe. Obviously they had never been exposed to such a vibrant color, and Midas had sat down on a small stump so as to give the small critters the opportunity to feel and admire the fabric.

Tamara almost didn't want to break up such a precious scene, but she had decided that she was going to take the moogle matriarch's words to heart. "Scatter, kiddies." Tamara said softly, "You are compromising the very person I wish to talk to."

The little moogles looked up, cheeped, but promptly turned right back to their task, not comprehending what Tamara had requested. She frowned, and Midas stepped in, saying, "Oh… they aren't gonna get in your way, nor will they understand you. What is it you want?"

"Well… I've been giving what the matriarch told me some thought…"

Midas chuckled, "Yeah… I have to, but she was so damn cryptic that I doubt I'll ever figure out what she meant until whatever it is she was warning me about has already happened."

"I was more referring to her advice to me." Tamara reminded, her eyes narrowing.

"Oh… THAT." Midas stated nervously. His posture had suddenly taken one similar to a frightened animal, and he looked nervously in Yura's direction. Fortunately, the summoner seemed preoccupied watching gleefully at the moogles' dancing, so he heaved a sigh of relief, and said, "Okay… go on…"

Sadly, Tamara was unable to get any further in her conversation. A deep voice shouted from the surrounding jungle, "I apologize if I am interrupting, but I have business that I must attend to immediately."

From outside the clearing emerged ten camouflaged Wodensland scouts, headed by Gregorian's right hand man, Tarsis. The Rationalist thug smirked victoriously, realizing that he had taken the group completely off-guard. Nonetheless, he told his scouts to hold back.

Tarsis, recognizing their confusion, explained in greater detail, "You see… I'm really not supposed to be here. As a matter of fact, I followed you to fulfill ONE personal goal of mine."

The former hunter turned his attention to a certain White Mage who at the time had been trying to figure out moogle language with some of the elder sprites. "I wanted to settle the matter earlier, but circumstances made you my ally. Now, I can deal with you like I should."

Borz hopped to Fredros's side, and shouted, "Hey there, you have issues to settle with me, too!"

Tarsis blinked, and replied, "I have an issue with ALL magic users. I fail to see how it's personal."

Borz's eyes narrowed, and with a flourish, he ripped off his hat, revealing his true origins. "Don't think I haven't forgotten that you nearly made me into a coat!"

Now Tarsis, like most humans, has no ability of telling one moogle from another, but was able to add all the clues to reach the correct conclusion. "Oh… it's that runt that the oh so humane priest saved. Fine, you want to join Fredros in the depths of hell, so be it."

Midas moved to join the pair of mages, but the group of scouts stepped in between, and the Red Mage was in no hurry of stirring up a bloody melee in the clearing. With a growl, he stepped back, eyes scanning for any possible opening.

Meanwhile, Tarsis continued his speech. "Did you know the fact that you escaped me irked me to no end, Fredros? The Revolution didn't seem complete without personally watching you burn with the rest of your religious freaks."

"Did you know how they died, High Priest?" Tarsis teased, "Bet you were wondering why they were all burned to crisps along the walls, huh?" Fredros didn't visibly reply, but Tarsis continued anyway. "About a hundred revolutionaries lined the entire monastery, and then we catapulted flaming balls of straw into the structure. Then we boarded up the main doors, and held off anyone trying to get out of the windows with pikes."

At this point, Tarsis was absolutely crowing, "It was so… exhilarating terrorizing the freaks. You could hear the screams of horror as they were barbecued. True, the smell of burnt human flesh wasn't the most appetizing, but the sheer thrill… Anyway, so much for being watched at all times, huh, Fredros?"

Tarsis was so engrossed in gloating that he never noticed the slowly increasing rage on the part of Borz and Fredros until it had exploded in the form of a burst of white light. When it was finished, the two mages had joined the elite group of people gifted with the Battle Trance.

"You… MONSTER!" Borz cried out defiantly, the beginnings of a spell on his lips.

Finally, Tarsis got the feeling that maybe he had laid it on a bit too thick. That feeling was confirmed when Borz unleashed a series of mid-level fire spells his way, at a rate that he had never seen any mage possess. Meanwhile, Fredros was simply piling on ability enhancing spells, increasing the speed and power of the already rabid production from the moogle mage.

And that's not even including the moogles getting involved.

The few moogles that were not already celebrating in the clearing had charged there as fast as they could; the small creatures displaying a speed and maneuverability in their flight that no one had ever attributed to their kind.

The appearance of the cavalry so to speak set the other moogles into motion. The sudden flurry of furry bodies turned out to be JUST the opening Midas was looking for, and the remainder of his allies joined the fray. In a matter of seconds, Tarsis had gone from a position of advantage, to being hopelessly outnumbered.

Recognizing that a strategic retreat was probably the only chance he had remaining, he cursed. He started to make another threat for Fredros and Borz's future demise, but a quick Thundara spell silenced him. Finally, with a scream of frustration, Tarsis disappeared into the jungle again. Fredros began to pursue, but Midas held him back.

"Fredros, we have a more important mission to accomplish. Tarsis will get his due." Midas reminded.

From behind the drums, the matriarch of the moogle clan raised her head. Panting heavily from the excitement, she agreed, "Yes… and it appears we cannot wait until morning after all. We must proceed now, before news of this… altercation… becomes known."

__

In the port town of South Wodensland…

Tarsis staggered into the small inn he had taken temporary residence in. With a sigh of relief, he tossed his weary and sore body onto the hard bed, grunting in pain as his back reacted less than favorably to the impact.

He didn't seem terribly shocked when a furious voice rattled in his head. As a matter of fact, he had been expecting it since he took his little… unauthorized jaunt.

_I TOLD YOU NOT TO ENGAGE THEM! _ The voice bellowed.

"I know what you told me… but I want to deal with Fredros myself, and that damn moogle monster. It's not the same as passively letting you deal with them."

_I NEED THEM ALL ALIVE! THEY ARE VITAL TO MY CONTINUED SUCCESS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?_

Tarsis sighed. At the moment, it was doubtful that Tarsis would ever be strong enough to finish things the way he desired anyway. He exhaled, and replied somewhat dejectedly, "Perfectly clear."

****

End Scene Two


	3. The Home Stretch?

FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION ****

FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION

By Thomas Knapp

****

Act Four- Scene Three

"KUPO!" One of the moogle escorts chirped, coming to a stop so quickly that Harmon didn't react in time, colliding into Creed's back, who then slipped on a small upraised root, and toppled over, slamming into Tamara. Unable to hold Creed's weight, Tamara collapsed, bumping into Yura, and causing the summoner to stumble into Fredros. The White Mage threw his staff aside in order to catch the flailing summoner, but didn't watch where he had thrown it, and thus Trigger had to jump backward to avoid the flying stave. Unfortunately, Borz hadn't been watching out for such, and walked right into the leaping Trigger. The ninja fell backwards with the unexpected collision, and began to roll to his feet, forcing Midas, who at the time had been taking up the rear, to react quickly, spinning out of Trigger's way.

However, in the Red Mage's impressive display of agility, he had forgotten that he had given his small backpack to Harmon, and that it had been the moogle matriarch that was clinging to the area where his pack would have normally been. As he spun, the aged moogle lost her grip, and she careened in a smooth arc off the narrow path that the moogles had cleared and into the surrounding jungle, luckily splitting down the gap of a pair of trees by mere centimeters on each side.

Panicking, Midas, his party, and the escort of moogles rushed for the general area that the matriarch crashed in. Fortunately, the elder moogle emerged from the undergrowth with a furious flap of wings, appearing quite shaken, but not physically harmed.

"KUPO!" The matriarch exclaimed as she settled onto the ground, tired by even that small flight, thus the reason why she had been clinging to Midas's back in the first place. "That was… quite a ride…" The aged sprite added to those who couldn't understand moogle. She then regarded the escorts that were pointing excitedly towards what seemed to a rock wall with seemingly nothing out of the ordinary. "This is the place. Walk between those two moogle carvings, and the way should part for you. Once you have recovered the Crystal, the Tower of Alexander SHOULD rise."

Midas didn't particularly like the way that the matriarch had emphasized the word 'should'. However, it was very likely that in all her years, not even SHE had ever seen the five crystals together. Addressing Yura, she asked, "You want to take the first step, or should I?"

"Go ahead, Midas. You're kinda the leader after all, and you're just as good as me in opening the labyrinth." Yura deferred. With a gracious nod, Midas strode to the lead, approaching the small gap between the carvings confidently, which is why the sudden feeling of unyielding rock knocking the wind out of him took the Red Mage completely by surprise. He fell down onto the seat of his trousers, looking up in confusion at where the entrance to the labyrinth had not appeared.

The matriarch frowned, then raised a chubby finger on her right hand. "Wait… the entrance is to the LEFT of the carvings, not right down the center. My mistake."

"Right…" Midas muttered, not totally believing that the matriarch would have forgotten such a simple detail. A suspicion that the elder sprite confirmed when she said with the moogle equivalent of a smirk, "As you failed my trust, so have I failed yours. Keep in mind all that you will cause by acting the way you do."

Midas glared at the matriarch, then said with a shrug, "Always a cryptic lesson with you, ain't it?" When the matriarch didn't reply, he shook his head, and motioned for the rest of the party to follow him through the CORRECT entrance.

__

Inside the cavern…

This cavern, like all of its brethren, had a feel that reflected the crystal it contained within its halls. The Earth Chamber had been made almost entirely of clay, the Fire Chamber was significantly hotter than any of the others, the Wind Chamber had an unnatural breeze blowing through the halls, etc… etc…

The cavern housing the Crystal of Water was obviously quite moist. As a matter of fact, there was an ankle high river of water flooding the entire flooring of the labyrinth. While Tamara, in her mid thigh leather boots, or Midas, who was also clad in heavy footwear, was not particularly bothered, others like the sandal clad Yura found it rather uncomfortable.

"Ugh… this is so… weird feeling." Yura complained, "I'm SO glad this is almost over." She watched with a slight flush as she noticed Midas cringing visibly to that last statement. The summoner instantly knew what must have been going through the young man's mind. No doubt he was dreading making a decision that he figured he'd be feeling pressure to make very soon.

She was trying to make the seeming choice easier for him to make. She had tried to look no longer interested, and give him the means to make the announcement that he really had already decided on.

There wasn't much left to be done in order to summon Alexander, the great Guardian of the World. They are close to getting the final crystal, she had memorized the ritual for the summoning for years, and then…

It had just crossed her mind that she had no idea just what was going to happen after Alexander was summoned, or how long it would take the end the Rationalists tyranny. Then there was the question of what would happen AFTER the Rationalists fell. From what she had been learning, it wasn't like life under the Summoners was that great either. It was almost as if the theme remained the same, just different people playing different roles.

She thought about asking the others what they felt would happen when Alexander was summoned. But then, was it really going to be their concern? The moogle matriarch seemed convinced that her quest was nearing an end. Was something going to happen to them? She couldn't imagine Midas or anyone here just calling it quits once this quest was done.

'Oh dear… you gotta get a grip, Yura. Let's not make up trouble for us. We've had enough as it is!' The summoner chided herself. 'Once again… we have to actually SUMMON Alexander first.' There was still plenty that could go wrong, especially if she didn't keep focused.

Sadly for her, concentration was proving to be a titanic effort. Her mind kept drifting ahead, going over the summoning ritual over and over. Added to the somewhat chilly water squishing between her toes, and Yura was officially a mess. She certainly hoped that the others were faring better than she was.

__

Meanwhile…

Midas for one, was NOT doing much better than Yura at staying on task. "I'm SO glad this is almost over." Yura had said. Midas for one was not terribly looking forward to the end of all this.

He had in the back of his mind dreading the end to this quest, and now that they were in the final stretch, that dread was slowly pounding its way to the front of his mind wielding a war club. Midas had managed to use the excuse that he had more important things to worry about to postpone any decision he had to make regarding the two ladies that have been the source of several headaches and sleepless nights.

Very soon, he wouldn't have that shield, and the two combatants for his affections would demand an answer. Would he actually be able to break one heart? And why on earth were they doing this to him?

He hadn't even WANTED to meet Yura. Had it not been for Borz suddenly gaining a backbone, Midas probably would have slipped out of Cairos, and never had been the wiser. And then Tamara… well, he didn't even want to REMEMBER how they first met…

The Red Mage took a deep breath, and focused on the flooded floor ahead of him like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. He reiterated in his mind that he wasn't going to drive himself crazy until he absolutely HAD to.

So when he noticed that the water around his feet was starting to drain away, he had initially thought that he had failed, and that he had totally lost it. Fortunately, Tamara and Trigger not even a split-second later noticed the same thing. However, unfortunately, that gave Midas the impending feeling that something was about to happen, and he probably wasn't going to like it.

And when a wall of water suddenly appeared from the darkness ahead of them, bearing down upon the party like a large wave, Midas decided that he indeed did not like what was coming. As if thinking the exact same thing, Midas and Borz cast two Firaga spells almost in unison. It succeeded in vaporizing most of the water, but not enough to keep the entire group from being totally drenched.

As the eight adventurers began to wring moisture from their clothing and hair, Trigger made note that the water that was once at their feet was pooling in the hallway ahead of them. Slowly it formed into a humanoid shape, and slowly began lumbering towards the party.

"I can assume this is the guardian of the crystal." Midas noted wryly.

"That would be a rather accurate assumption." Yura retorted.

Tamara lunged forward to strike, but found that she had about as much luck wounding the creature as… well… trying to cut water. However, when the guardian of the labyrinth struck, it was as if it was hard as stone, knocking Tamara completely off her feet. Trigger reacted quickly to catch the knight before she struck the ground or walls, and thus Tamara was ready as Borz crept to her position.

"Get ready to attack again on my mark, okay?" Borz whispered conspiratorially. "I'll give your strike a little more bite."

Tamara nodded, and Midas meanwhile stepped to the fore, a fire spell on his lips, releasing the flaming energy towards the lumbering elemental. Steam and vapor rose as the two conflicting elements met, and Midas jumped out of the way of a mass of boiling water as it spilled from the guardian, but not far enough to keep droplets of scalding liquid from striking his sword arm. Miraculously, he kept a hold of his weapon, but the angry welts rising on his wrist where the water had struck bare skin was not going to be pleasant to fight through.

"NOW!" Borz shouted out, and Tamara once again charged with her sword swinging upward. As the blade met the monster's flesh, Borz's thunder spell struck the blade, and the blow carved a sparking mess across the belly of the guardian. However, the sparks also caught Tamara's armor, sending a nasty shock through the knight's frame.

Somewhat stunned, Tamara wasn't able to react fast enough to avoid the elemental's next attack, but fortunately Midas grabbed her by the shoulder, and quickly pulled her out of harm's way. She collapsed limply against his chest, and with cheeks flaming as red as his robe, Midas stood her to her feet.

He analyzed the situation, and said in conclusion, "This is NOT a good use of our resources here people."

Harmon agreed, "Indeed. The only way to harm the creature does significant harm to us as well. But how can we strike a being without resorting to dangerous alternatives?"

During this, Creed glanced up to the ceiling, and saw what might be their answer. Tapping Trigger on the shoulder, the monk pointed upwards. Trigger followed the finger, and saw that just above him, one of the bricks used to make the top of the hall had fallen away, and the several others around where that brick used to be seemed to be hanging rather precariously.

Creed smiled, and replied, "You've got a pretty good throwing arm. Think you can hit that target?"

Catching onto Creed's plan, Trigger nodded simply, his posture suggesting that he was insulted that Creed had to ask whether or not the ninja was up to the task. Creed then addressed the party, "All right, Trigger and I might have an answer to this problem, but we need you guys to lure our moistened friend to where I'm standing."

The group complied with Creed's request. Even though they weren't sure just what the monk was planning, it had to be better than what they had been doing. As they fell back, sure enough, the guardian advanced, until it lumbered under the loose bricks that Creed had designated. He turned to Trigger, and gave the signal that the ninja was waiting for.

With one giant heave, Trigger launched one of Midas's old swords that the ninja had "borrowed" from the Red Mage's backpack, sending it with blistering speed towards his target. The blade struck just above one of the bricks adjoining the hole, setting off a chain reaction that collapsed part of the roof of the tunnel, along with some of the dirt above.

"Take mix… add water." Creed commented as the dirt and clay fell upon the watery creature. As the elemental started to rise, it's essence mixed with what had fallen upon it, turning it into more of a mud monster than water. The monk smiled victoriously, then turning to Midas and Borz, added the final ingredient. "Then BAKE IT!"

A barrage of fire spells slowly engulfed the guardian, hardening the mud, and evaporating the water into the dirt. The two mages kept up the pressure until the already slow movements of the elemental had almost stopped entirely.

The creature took one more step forward, and that point it fell forward, and smashed into clumps of baked mud as it hit the floor below. Not one drop of water remained.

With a collective sigh of relief, eight wearied adventurers decided not to dwell on what had just occurred. They quickly worked their way around the remnants of the collapsed roof of the hall, and were almost sprinting down the hall to where a bluish glow could be seen with increasing clarity.

They emerged into the chamber housing the Crystal of Water at long last, and slowly stepped to the side so that Yura could approach the raised pedestal housing the last element of their quest. She paused ever so slightly before clutching the crystal, and dropping it into her satchel with the others.

Turning to those who had joined her on her chosen quest, she said uncertainly, "Well… from what I understand, the Tower of Alexander SHOULD rise somewhere, and I can go through the ritual to bring the Guardian of the World together. The problem is… I have no idea where the Tower will rise, or how we are supposed to get there."

At that moment, the five crystals began to shimmer so brightly that they shone through the satchel, their various colors mixing into a bright white light that slowly filled the entire chamber.

When the light had receded, all eight adventurers were gone.

****

End Scene Three


	4. Take 'em to the Tower!

FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION ****

FINAL FANTASY: INQUISITION

By Thomas Knapp

****

Act Four- Scene Four

When the eight emerged from the burst of light, they found themselves standing at the base of a towering stone structure looking downward onto the Great Central Sea. The structure itself looked like it was alive, stone carvings all the way up the obelisk as far as any of the group's eyes could see. The seemingly random overhangs were draped with kelp and other seaweed, suggesting that this place had recently been underwater. There was only one place this could be… the Tower of Alexander.

"Well… that answered the question of where this thing was, and how we were gonna get there." Midas said gratefully. "Now, Yura, why don't you go up there, do your thing, and get this over with."

Yura bit her lower lip, and said softly, "I can't…"

This gave the other seven a good deal of pause. Finally Midas asked slowly, as if he wasn't totally certain what he had just heard, "What do you mean… you can't?"

Yura bit her lip again. She had not anticipated instantaneous travel to Alexander's Tower, so the forthcoming information she had not deemed important. "Alexander can only be summoned on the night of the full moon."

"You mean to tell me that we can't finish this god-forsaken mission for another WEEK?" Creed fumed. "What are we gonna do, SIT HERE?"

"Not in the least." Midas replied, "It will not take Gregorian long to realize what is happening, and no doubt he will pour all his resources into making sure this summoning does not occur."

He walked to the first step leading to the large entryway of the tower, and looked up as if analyzing the structure. Finally, he turned his head to his comrades, and finished, "I intend for us to be ready."

__

One week later…

The noonday sun sat overhead on the day prior to the full moon. Midas looked over the handiwork of the past week's efforts. He sincerely hoped that it was enough to keep the Rationalists at bay until Alexander was summoned.

"Enough to keep them at bay…" That thought dwelled in his head as it had for the entire week's wait. He had even brought up the issue of what was most likely going to happen. The seven of them couldn't even HOPE to hold back the army that Gregorian was no doubt assembling to attack the tower. The only chance was to hold back the attackers long enough for Alexander to be summoned, then let the Guardian handle the rest.

Obviously, the others did not find much merit in the role they were going to play, but most of them accepted it. Surprisingly, Creed didn't even seem too pleased, even though he was probably going to be granted the wish that had been denied him 5 years ago. This was one thing he decided to make sure he had straight before things went to hell.

The monk was examining one of the multitude of traps that had been set up for their soon to be unwelcome guests when they arrived. From his position one floor higher, Midas grinned, and called out to the monk, "If ANYONE knows how to make a trap, it's you, Creed. I wouldn't be too worried."

Creed glanced up towards Midas's position and shot back, "If my traps were so good, how come you're still standing today?"

As if throwing any caution to the wind, Midas jumped out the tower window, landing five meters below, and rolling to his feet in front of Creed, "I just wanted…" Midas began.

"To make sure that I won't chicken out again." Creed finished. Before Midas could reply, Creed once again interrupted, "Don't try to deny it. I've been thinking about it myself. And to be honest… I don't know."

"I see…" Midas answered.

"I think that I've made it perfectly clear that I wish to die. I've wanted to ever since I deserted my fellow monks in Media. However, I can't say I have any reason to believe that I'll be able to go through with it this time. I would understand completely why you'd want to send me away. You're gonna need to have everyone on the same page… something I cannot guarantee."

"Okay… now that the little self-pity trip is out of the way… let me give you some facts here." Midas said, ticking them off on his fingers as he did so, "One… you've been with us all the way up to this point, and you've been solid the entire time. I don't see any reason to deny you the chance to finish it with us. Two… have you SEEN this place? There isn't exactly anywhere to run TO. Three… how in Alexander's name to do intend for me to send you anywhere?"

While Creed mulled over the various reasons, Midas chuckled, and said, "I came here to see how you were doing. You seemed awfully displeased as to our current situation, and I wanted to know why. Thank you for answering me. I wouldn't worry about a thing, Creed. I am certain you'll do fine."

"Well… I suppose I'm glad YOU think so." Creed said, rubbing his neck uncertainly.

From around the circular tower, Tamara's voice asked, "Do I hear Midas over there?"

Midas stiffened, and he stammered, "Y…y…yeah! I'm here!"

Tamara emerged from around the curved wall, and said, "Can I speak to you for a moment? There is something I need to discuss with you before… well, you know…"

Midas began to stammer an excuse when Creed slapped the Red Mage on the shoulder, saying, "Yeah… I think we're done here. He's all yours, Tamara!" Into Midas's ear, the monk whispered, "It's best you get it over with now. The sooner she can focus on the task at hand, the better."

Depressingly, Midas nodded. He had ducked the issue for as long as he could. Now it was time to settle it. Lifting his head so as not to betray any of his conflicting emotions, he walked over to where Tamara waited.

She led him to the most secluded part of the small island that the Tower of Alexander rested upon, which wasn't particularly secluded. As a matter of fact, any part of the minute island was visible from the fourth level of the tower.

Tamara wrung her hands as she slowly gathered the courage to say what had been burning her for some time. "Midas… I just wanted to tell you about how I feel about you before I couldn't tell you anymore. Granted, you might have figured it out…"

Midas put his hand on her shoulder, and replied, "Yes… neither you nor Yura were terribly discreet about it. You don't need to say anything. I know all about it."

Tamara shook her head, and began, "Well… I want… oh hell… I guess if…" Finally, she looked up at him hopefully asking, "But… What about YOU? How do YOU feel about ME?"

Midas frowned. It was the moment of truth that he had been dreading. Thankfully Yura wasn't anywhere nearby. Hopefully she'd be too busy with the summoning to worry about how he had chosen. "Tamara… I…"

"SHIP COMING FROM THE SOUTH!" Borz cried out, his high-pitched voice carrying all the way from his perch on the higher levels of the tower to the ground level. Likely anyone within a kilometer would have heard his shrill cry.

Reacting instantly, Midas rushed away to the entrance to the tower, leaving Tamara to growl in frustration. If it was what she feared… everything Midas could have said would be left unsaid.

__

Tower of Alexander, 10th floor…

Looking out the window that Borz had been scouting from, they could see the small wooden speck approaching from the direction that the Black Mage had indicated.

"I can't imagine Gregorian only sending one ship to take this tower." Midas said in confusion. "All of you, check the other windows, make sure that no other ships are coming."

The others carried out the Red Mage's order, and all of them replied in the negative. Finally Harmon reached into his satchel, and after some rummaging about, pulled out what looked like a small wooden tube with two glass lenses on each end, "Here, use this…" he said, handing it to Midas.

Midas examined the strange device, and then asked, "What is it?"

"I really don't have time to explain the laws of light and how it works, so let me just say that it makes images inside the view of that device appear larger. Just put the small end to one eye, point the big end at what you want to look at, and then close your other eye."

Midas did so, and then exclaimed, "By Alexander… that's INCREDIBLE! I can actually see the ship like it's almost upon us!" His voice dropped down, and he said in amazement and query, "That ship is waving Cairos's flag. What is a Cairos ship doing here?"

An hour later, they got their answer as the ship slowly sailed along to the side of the island. A plank cast to the ground, and one lone figure, clad in the dark blue armor of a dragoon, and a long spear in hand, bounced down to the shore, stopping before Midas.

The dragoon pulled off the winged helmet, and Karma said excitedly, "I'm glad I got here before the fun started!"

Midas gaped, then finally managed to ask, "What are you doing here?" Then with a hopeful tint to his voice asked, "Do you bring reinforcements?"

Karma chuckled, then said embarrassingly, "I wish that was the case… you see, Moros has been gathering forces along the border, and I couldn't spare anyone to defend the tower."

Tamara then queried, "Then what are YOU doing here, madam?"

Karma's features then grew determined, and the High Inquisitor said, "Well… something quite special is going to be here very soon, and I would really like to be able to say that I was a part of it."

Midas warned, "You DO realize that there is not much chance ANY of us are going to survive this coming battle?"

Karma nodded, "I know. I've received the reports as to the size of the force that Gregorian set sail with before I departed. I was fortunate to have a strong northern wind behind me. But Midas… I am a Dragoon. My sworn duty is to defend the summoners. Please do not deny me the opportunity to end my life defending the last summoner in her final quest."

Midas shrugged, and replied brightly, "Gee… after that, how can anyone expect me to refuse? Very well, Karma, you will set up on the roof of the tower with Yura. You will be our last line of defense."

"Thank you, Midas. I will not disappoint."

__

Dusk…

The full moon began to rise on the horizon just as the first ships of Gregorian's fleet appeared. Judging from the speed the ships were travelling, they'd come ashore 2 hours before the moon was fully visible.

"2 hours, huh?" Creed muttered, "The longest two hours of our lives."

"Or the shortest… depending on how quickly we're taken out." Borz amended.

"Let's not worry about how long we'll last, and just focus on holding out." Midas ordered. "Besides… Harmon, I think you've acquired some Fire and Lightning skills, am I correct?" When the Blue Mage nodded, Midas continued, "Then you, Borz, and I will go up to the roof, and give some of our guests a little welcoming present."

As the three mages climbed the tower steps, Midas said, "Get in position, everyone. Use our magic attack as the signal to get ready to repel any and all opposition."

The next hour drug by like a sloth stuck in molasses. Tamara was about ready to charge into the ocean, and swim out to the approaching ships when finally 3 streaking balls of fire ripped through the sky, striking three separate ships, and exploding into three large plumes of smoke and flame.

As sailors and soldiers abandoned ship, the other undamaged vessels readied their cannons. The second volley of spells tore through the air as the cannons fired. Where the mage's attack struck another trio of ships, the cannons were harmlessly deflected from the tower by an unseen force.

Tamara didn't have time to ponder the mysterious defenses that the tower just displayed, for it was at that moment that the first of the surviving ships went ashore, Rationalist soldiers pouring onto the small island.

Tamara and Creed retreated into the tower, where Harmon and Trigger were waiting. As the first soldiers started to work through the entryway, they also became the first ones to die. The entryway kept the invaders from pressing too quickly into the tower, but their sheer numbers soon forced the group backward. Rather than press the issue at the doorway, the four fell back, and at the second level of the tower, met up with Midas, Borz, and Harmon, and also the first of the traps that the group had set.

Tamara, Creed, Trigger, and Fredros ducked down, as Midas intentionally set off the trap, dropping a large boulder just over the four in front, and sending it rolling down the steps, bowling over soldiers that were unable to react. The stone crashed against the entryway, blocking the door.

In response, while some soldiers began working to move the boulder, others started to infiltrate the tower via the window arches. However, access that way proved to be as problematic as the main entry. Grappling hooks were plucked off the windows, or soldiers set off magically warded traps underneath the windows.

But no defense is impenetrable. The boulder was eventually rolled aside, and the traps underneath the windows ran out. Rationalist soldiers started to pour into the tower by the score, forcing the seven defenders further up the tower.

Creed analyzed the increasingly deteriorating situation. While part of his mind raced through fighting, another part couldn't help but think, 'Was THIS what the battle of Media was like? Fighting off what seems like an endless wave of Rationalists?'

Creed struck an approaching soldier in the chest, watching the young man spit up a torrent of blood, and collapse to the steps, sliding down until the body stopped before the pile of similar corpses cluttering the steps. As the body count continued to climb, Creed began to think if this was really the way he had wanted to go.

His subconscious mind began to warp reality, and Creed began to see the faces of old friends in the place of his new ones. Had the Battle of Media gone the same way? Forced back until they could not retreat any further, then mercilessly killed?

Creed didn't want to go like that after all.

He was going to live.

"I AM NOT GOING TO DIE LIKE THIS!" Creed screamed, and for a brief second, it froze the entire battle. Then the battle remained in a type of stasis as they watched Creed become overwhelmed with the Battle Trance.

The monk growled in fury, and glared at the Rationalists below. Creed slapped his hand on the ground with such force that the steps split and collapsed, causing the stone to crumble to dust, and drop chunks of carved stone to the floor below. That sudden obstacle would severely hamper the Rationalists' progress.

However, Creed didn't seem to be done there. He leaped across the new gap, engaging the Rationalists, and starting to push THEM back. Tamara, energized by Creed's sudden counterattack, jumped across as well. Trigger offered support with well placed shurikens whenever there was an opening.

Midas and Borz stepped up the pace of their magic production, searing, freezing, and shocking the rear soldiers, while Fredros worked on keeping everyone patched together.

However, their counter-offensive was short lived as the Rationalist's continued to push forward into the tower. Once again, the party fell back on the defensive, and Tamara made a startling discovery. When she and Creed jumped down the gap, she realized that she couldn't get back up. It appeared that her fighting would be over in mere moments.

Midas began to charge down the steps to join Tamara when an armored body flew over him, rolling to a stop just before the fallen section of steps. Karma stood to her feet, and called out to Tamara and Creed to watch out.

Tamara and Creed ducked down again, as Karma cast a stream of bright white energy that tore through the soldiers, following the winding staircase, burning away the Rationalist presence from the tower. Then there was silence. Karma sighed, and then turning to her allies said, "There are still more ships arriving, but at least I've given all of you a slight reprieve to rest your wearied bodies." Then with a groan of pain added, "But don't expect me to do that too many more times. That skill takes an awful lot out of me…"

"I understand. We'll hold down the fort as long as we can." Midas replied, "Thanks for watching our backs. How is Yura doing?"

"The full moon has cleared the horizon. Yura is beginning the ritual as we speak. I shall return to her now." With that, the Dragoon charged back up the few remaining levels to the roof.

Fredros watched Karma disappear up the steps as the others helped Tamara and Creed make it across the gap in the steps, and he commented wistfully, "It's amazing that despite her incredible power… we know so little about her…"

This caused Midas to raise an eyebrow in the White Mage's direction. "Really, you never heard of her?"

"No… not that I can remember."

"That's kinda strange. According to Yura, Karma was a Dragoon in Wodensland before the revolution."

Fredros scratched his chin, and commented thoughtfully, "That's odd… There were only a score Dragoons in Wodensland, and I don't recall ANY of them being named Karma…"

Midas looked up to the roof. "Something seems fishy… I've suddenly got a very bad feeling about this."

He glanced around his comrades, and he didn't even need to make any sort of order. In almost perfect unison, the seven burst up the steps, hoping they weren't too late.

Meanwhile, two figures appeared in the doorway of the Tower. The first one stepped through, and with a motion of his hand said, "Hurry up, Tarsis. No doubt those magic-users are on the roof. We MUST hurry."

As Gregorian started to run up the steps of the tower, Tarsis passed through the entryway, a devious smile on his face. "Yes… we MUST hurry."

__

Tower of Alexander, Rooftop…

Midas was the first to the roof as the final words of the summoning ritual passed Yura's lips. For about a minute nothing happened, then glimmering fingers of light appeared overhead, and the five crystals that had been arranged in a circle at Yura's feet rose to meet the shining strands.

The strands passed through the crystals, and then a spectral form began to emerge. It resembled a living castle, with towers serving as arms of a sort, and angelic wings sprouting from behind the ghostly form.

The party was so entranced by the phantasmal image that they had almost forgotten about Karma. Midas spotted her, just a body length from Yura, spear poised to strike.

Midas called out a warning to Yura, and rushed to her, but he was simply too late. Karma's spear found little resistance in the form of Yura's back, ripping through her body, and bursting through the summoner's chest. Yura's face froze in a look of surprise and horror as Karma released her spear, letting Yura collapse in a heap onto the roof.

Midas, sword in hand, charged to strike down the treacherous Dragoon, but suddenly found himself swatted back by an unseen hand, and causing him to land roughly on his back a two meters away.

The adventurers congregated around the Red Mage, and watched helplessly as Karma rose her hands, and shouted, "NOW IS THE TIME, ALEXANDER! THE TIME FOR YOUR DOMINANCE HAS BEGUN!"

The spectral form slowly floated down, and then mashed into a formless smoke, sliding down into Karma's open mouth. From there, Karma's body began to change. Her violet eyes went totally white, and it was as if parts of her skin were turning to stone. Bright wings burst out from her back, and when everything was complete, the result was something that eerily resembled Karma, but was definitely a new and different entity.

At that same time, Gregorian and Tarsis emerged on the roof. The Rationalist leader paused at the sight, his fist clenching in fury. "Karma… I should have known…"

Karma laughed, and in a voice that sounded like hers had been given an intense echo effect, she said, "Yes… you should have, but in your infinite ignorance, you did not. Now your usefulness has ended."

"WHAT?" Gregorian hissed, but then his growl caught in this throat as the tip of a sword emerged from his stomach. Tarsis pulled the blade out from Gregorian's body, and with a maniacal smile bowed to Karma. "I see you were successful, milady."

Karma laughed, and said, "Yes, Tarsis. Alexander has merged with me, and now I shall be the lord and master of this world… nay, ALL OF CREATION! Even the mighty god, who created this world, will bow to me!"

Thick tendrils emerged from Karma's hands, and they rushed down the sides of the tower. In the night, no one could see them burst into the ground below, but they did see the small sparkles of energy rising up from them, and into Karma's body.

"I shall drain all the energy from this planet and people, and with it overthrow the ultimate oppressor, the lord of creation himself!"

In fury, Midas tried to attack again, but the same barrier thwarted him, once again sending the Red Mage sprawling. As he stood, slight movement to the side drew everyone's attention.

Gregorian was mortally wounded, but at the moment was still alive. He wasn't sure how he knew, but in the very fibers of his soul KNEW that Midas was the key to defeating Karma, and he knew that Midas had to get away from the tower immediately.

Jumping to his feet with all the energy he could muster, Gregorian rushed past the surprised Tarsis, and ran towards Midas. In their surprise, no one was able to react as the Rationalist leader grabbed Midas, and charged to the edge of the tower.

Karma screamed in defiance as Gregorian approached the tower's edge. With a pained whisper, Gregorian said to the Red Mage, "You better survive this." Then with the last of his strength, shoved Midas over the edge of the tower.

Tamara bolted to the railing of the tower, screaming Midas's name as he plunged down, hearing a small splash as the Red Mage fell into the ocean below. At the same time, Gregorian collapsed against the railing, his spirit deserting his body. Torn between concern for her two loves, Tamara finally dropped to her knees, and laid her father's head across her lap, to overcome with emotion to even cry.

Karma whirled around to face Tarsis, and pointed over the edge of the tower screaming, "FIND HIM! FIND THE MAGE!" As Tarsis complied, Karma faced the remaining adventurers. "And as for all of you… you have served my purpose well, but you are not done yet! Like this very planet, I need your energy to fuel me. Prepare yourself to face my HOLY JUDGEMENT!"

The entity raised one arm, and a massive ball of glowing white energy formed above them, outshining even the full moon in the sky. Karma then dropped her hand, and the energy sphere fell with a deafening explosion of light on the roof of the Tower of Alexander.

Then as suddenly as the commotion began… all was silent…

****

End Act Four


End file.
